


Hearthfire

by amaronith



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-04 15:32:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18607381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaronith/pseuds/amaronith
Summary: It was never supposed to be about feelings - it was just supposed to be two friends helping each other out.Until Fjord discovers that Caleb liked Orcish dirty talk.Until Fjord realizes he could tell Caleb exactly how he felt with Caleb none the wiser.Things sort of snowball from there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A thousand thanks to [Crunchywrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrunchyWrites/pseuds/CrunchyWrites/works) for help with finding the right text to denote Orcish from everything else!
> 
> And shout out to the Widofjord Discord for inspiring this madness. Love you guys!

The real kick in the pants about it all was that it was never supposed to be about _feelings_. Sure, Fjord admired Caleb - the wizard was brilliant and his skill with magic was unlike any Fjord had ever seen - and certainly he could admit the man was attractive, but it wasn't like they were madly in love.

And even if Fjord did have feelings for him, it wasn't as though Caleb returned them.

When you were on the ocean, you helped each other out sometimes, because a friendly hand was a friendly hand, and all cats look grey in the dark.

Which was why he even offered in the first place.

You know, just being friendly.

“You all right there, Caleb?” Fjord kept his voice soft, even as he could see the outline of Caleb's dick in his pants. Normally the sort of thing you'd politely ignore when looking over maps and your foreheads were nearly touching, but.

Just being friendly.

“Hm? Ah, _ja_ , I am fine. Going a little stir-crazy, but I will be all right.”

“Want a hand burning off some steam?”

Caleb lifted his eyes to meet Fjord's, stunned. “Fjord?”

“It don't have to mean nothing, I'm just bein’ friendly. Someone else's hand is usually better than your own, and I do have private quarters here…”

Caleb stared at him for a long moment before nodding. “ _Ja_ , okay.”

Which was how Fjord had Caleb flat on his back and moaning in Zemnian, his legs around Fjord's hips while Fjord worked their cocks together because they had limited water on the ship and there were some things Fjord just didn't want to do without a proper wash up before and after.

Fjord thought longingly of the bath house in Zadash, and him and Caleb maybe sharing a private bath when they get back.

“You,” Caleb groaned out, fingertips digging into Fjord's shoulders. “Are thinking very hard for a man with two dicks in his hand…”

Fjord chuckled breathlessly and gave Caleb's dick a squeeze. “Thinking of that bathhouse in Zadash,” he murmured against Caleb's ear. “How if I could, I'd get you nice and clean so I could eat your ass out for hours.” Caleb's cock throbbed in Fjord's grip, leaving him feeling emboldened as he sucked a dark mark into Caleb's throat. “And then, when you were a trembling wreck begging for release, I'd fuck you.”

Fjord could feel the growling tones of the Orcish language tugging at his throat, but what he was focused on was the way Caleb's pupils dilated, leaving the thinnest ring of blue around the edges, and Fjord got an idea.

_Learn. Provoke._

_Consume._

He kissed his way to Caleb's ear, sucking another dark love bite right below it “𝖄𝖔𝖚'𝖉 𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝖘𝖔 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖞 𝖔𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖈𝖐,” Fjord growled in Orcish. “𝖄𝖔𝖚'𝖉 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖘𝖔 𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉𝖓'𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝕮𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖇? 𝕾𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖒𝖊 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖘𝖔 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔.”

Caleb came with a choked cry, his back coming up off the bed in a gorgeous arc, and Fjord wasn't too far behind him, moaning as he watched his come spatter across their bellies.

Caleb collapsed back against the bed with a groan, breathing hard as he kept his hold on Fjord. “What in all the hells was that?”

Fjord would forever be proud of himself for not flinching at the question. “I, ah - Orcish. Was that not good?”

Caleb gave him a flat, unimpressed look. “Fjord, you are far too smart to ask such a question.” He must've seen something in Fjord's face, however, because his gaze softened. “Fjord, it was possibly the sexiest thing that's ever happened to me in a bedroom ever. What did you even say?”

It was funny how this was what was making him blush, and not anything that came before it. “How pretty you'd look on my cock, how well you'd take it, how I'd make you scream so everyone knew what was happening.”

A little white lie, leaving out the bit about Caleb _belonging_ to him - that wouldn't harm anything.

Besides, it was just dirty talk, it's not like it needed an exact translation.

Caleb blew out a breath with a laugh, scratching his fingers through Fjord's hair like he'd seen Caleb do to Frumpkin. “I have learned things about myself tonight, it seems.”

“What, you like Orcish dirty talk?”

“Mm. Thank you for this, Fjord. You were right about it helping.”

“Anytime.” Fjord reluctantly pulled away from Caleb to go fetch a damp rag to clean them both up with. “I mean it.”

Caleb watched him from under heavy lids, reminding Fjord of Frumpkin. “ _Ja?_ ”

“Yeah.” He wiped down Caleb, not looking at him even as he wiped his spend from Caleb’s body. “It’s safer, sometimes, to keep things like this within the group, you know? I know I’m not gonna spend the night with you only to find my coin purse gone in the morning and me not knowing where you were.”

“If I stole your purse, I’d be in a book shop.”

“Exactly.” Fjord chuckled as he pitched the rag at the wash basin - he’d tend to it later - and laid back down on his bed next to Caleb. “You staying?”

Caleb rolled over to face him. “Do you think it’s wise? People will talk.”

Fjord took in a slow, deep breath, the languid pleasure lingering from his orgasm at war with the cold spike of feardreadpanicrejection of Caleb’s rejection of him. “...do you care if they do?”

“Do not get the wrong idea, Fjord.” Caleb brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “I only say this because our friends are all assholes. Think of the teasing we would have to endure from Jester and Beauregard if no one else.”

That eased the sting somewhat - if only because Caleb had a point. “Just so long as you’re-” _not ashamed of me_ “-you’re all right with sneaking around.”

Caleb grinned. “That’s half the fun, no? We’ll make it work.”

And so that was how it began - two friends just. Helping each other out when they had the itch.

And suddenly it was like he and Caleb had that itch _all the time_ \- Caleb seemed to seek Fjord out just as often as Fjord sought him out, which probably meant that Fjord's feelings were still a secret. Fjord lost track of all the places that he and Caleb had rutted on The Balleater _alone_.

And every time, Fjord growled in Orcish in Caleb's ear. It had started out filthy, raunchy things Fjord could never bring himself to say in Common, even though there was always the chance Caleb would ask him what it meant.

Until Dashilla's lair happened.

Until the illusion he had seen through, his soul knowing he could never harm his One, even if he mind couldn't understand it was him.

Until the blood pact they had made.

They had gotten back to the ship and Fjord and Caleb had gone off to Fjord's quarters and Fjord stopped caring about how much water he'd need to use - Fjord cleaned Caleb up and worked him open before slicking himself up and pressing into Caleb, grasping their cut hands together as the wizard moaned loud enough that Fjord was worried the whole ship would hear.

“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖊, 𝖒𝖞 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖊… 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖉𝖔 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊, 𝖆𝖘 𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖙 𝖐𝖊𝖊𝖕𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖇𝖞 𝖒𝖞 𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊.”

And Caleb moaned under him, babbling something in Zemnian that Fjord couldn't parse as they clung to each other and came, with Fjord buried deep inside Caleb.

That was when Fjord knew he was pretty much ruined for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Fjord says in Orcish, for those with trouble reading the text:
> 
> 1) "You'd look so pretty on my cock,”   
> 2) “You'd take it so well for me, wouldn't you, Caleb? Scream for me when you came undone so everyone could hear and know who you belong to.”  
> 3) “You are my home, my Hearthfire, the love of my life… I would do anything you wished of me, as long as it keeps you by my side.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to continue to thank [CrunchyWrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrunchyWrites/pseuds/CrunchyWrites/works) for the assist with the "Orcish" font, and to [madnessiseverything](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnessiseverything/pseuds/madnessiseverything/works) for helping me translate Caleb's Zemnian/Fantasy German.
> 
> Shout out to everyone in the Widofjord Discord for cheering me on as I wrote this, y'all are the best! 💖

Fjord never meant to fall into the habit of calling Caleb "hearthfire" in bed, but once he had said it the first time, his heart decided that that was just who Caleb was now.

Not that Caleb knew what Fjord had been saying, and if Caleb realized Fjord was repeating a word over and over when they had sex, he hadn't mentioned it. So Fjord was safe on that front.

Until he fucked up.

"How goes it, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊?" Fjord asked, draping an arm over Caleb's shoulders as the wizard made his way through the pile of treasure they found, separating the magical items from the non-magical items.

"This is a good haul, so far, _Bärchen_ ," Caleb murmured back, distracted by his work. "This is _gut_."

"Glad to hear it."

"Hey Fjooooord?" Jester leaned over Caleb's other side, grinning wickedly. "What did you just call Caaaaaayleb?"

Fjord frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"You just said something to Caleb in a different language-"

"Orcish," Caleb seemed to answer reflexively, though Fjord could see his face going red.

"Fjooooord, do you have a pet name for Caleb in Orcish?"

"No!" Fjord blurted in a panic. "Rather, not just him?" Fuck, this was a disaster.

"Oh?" Jester's tail curled happily above her head. "Do I have one?"

Fjord hoped he didn't look as panicked as he felt. "Of course you do, 𝕷𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕭𝖑𝖚𝖊𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖉."

Jester squeaked, clapping her hands in delight. "What's it mean?"

"You're not allowed to laugh."

"I won't, I won't!"

"Roughly translated, it means 'laughing bluebird'."

Jester squeaked again and launched herself over Caleb and into Fjord's arms in a tight hug. "That's so cute, Fjord!"

"Yeah, well," Fjord hugged her back, embarrassed at being caught out in this way, all because of his stupid feelings for Caleb. And yes, he had nicknames for the rest of the Nein, but he really didn't want to share what Caleb's meant. It was-

"Does everyone have a nickname, Fjord?" Jester asked, looking up at him from where her cheek rested on his chest.

"Yup."

"What are they? Why don't you use them more? Why-"

"'Cause it's mushy and embarrassing!" Fjord blurted out.

"Awww, but Fjoooooooord, we love you, too!"

"No we don't," Nott said, looking up from where she was digging through the pile of non-magical items. "Wait - do we need to? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Is Fjord okay?" She peered up at him, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fi-"

"Fjord has Orcish nicknames for us! Apparently mine translates to Laughing Bluebird, which is just _the cutest thing ever!_ "

"Oh? What's mine?"

"𝕷𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝕭𝖚𝖙𝖙𝖔𝖓."

"....and in Common, that is…?"

"Little Button - and in my defense, I was calling you that in my head before I knew you really liked the things! You just were some little goblin kid who was cute as a button and it stuck!"

"...I forgive you, because it _is_ a cute nickname."

Jester gave Fjord another squeeze, lifting him up as she swung him around to Caduceus. "What's Caduceus's nickname?"

"𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝕶𝖊𝖊𝖕𝖊𝖗, it's. Um. Not as cute."

"But what's it _mean_?"

"Death Keeper. Our, uh, first meeting kind of left an impression, 'Deuces," Fjord looked down, shamefaced.

"That's a good nickname, though. I mean, I'm a _grave_ keeper, but I imagine it's not always a perfect translation from Orcish to Common."

"It's not- _uwaagh!_ "

Jester had swung him around to Yasha, who was watching the whole thing with a small half smile. "What about Yasha?!"

"𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒 𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖘𝖔𝖒. Err… Storm Blossom."

Yasha blinked, her mismatched eyes peering up at him from where she sat. "Storm Blossom?"

"I mean." He indicated her as best he could with Jester pinning his arms to his sides. "If you don't like it-"

"No, it's not that. Thank you, Fjord, for the beautiful nickname."

Beau popped up in front of him. "What's mine, what's mine? Is it cool? Tell me it's cool."

Fjord felt his ears heat up. "It's. Uh. 𝕾𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖞 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙."

Beau frowned. "It sounds cool, but that might just be the Orcish - what's it mean?"

"Can you let me go, Jes?"

"Sure, for sure, but what's Beau's nickname mean?" Jester let him go and Fjord rubbed at his arms, feeling just as off-balance and wrong-footed as he had when Jester had been holding him.

"The most direct translation is 'Sister of My Heart', okay? I get it, it's sappy, and- _oof_!"

Fjord stumbled back into Jester as Beau hugged him. "Shut up, it's perfect no take backs."

Fjord rested his cheek on her hair, hugging her back. "Sorry."

"No sorrys, okay? It's- it's really cool. Uh, how would you say 'Brother of My Heart'?"

"𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖞 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙." Beau tried to repeat it back, and Fjord just hugged her tighter. "We can practice more later."

Beau nodded and let him go, taking a step back before punching his arm gently - for her, at least. "Anyway, enough feelings - Caleb! Tell me something good, my dude."

"We have many many good things here - we've hit a bingo!"

"....a bingo? You mean a jackpot?"

"Yes, that." Caleb was grinning, blue eyes still sparking with leftover magic in a way that made Fjord's breath catch.

_Gods, he's gorgeous._

"So what did we get?"

"You, Yasha, should take these - they are like what Beauregard has, and will make you harder to hit." Caleb smiled at her with a tiny knowing smile. "You get hurt enough for us, Storm Blossom - let's try to mitigate some of that, _ja_?"

Yasha accepted the bracers with nod and a tiny smile. "Thank you, Caleb."

"And you, Beauregard - this quarterstaff will warn you and anyone within thirty feet of you of danger, even if we are in a non-magical sleep, and we cannot be surprised."

Beau took the quarterstaff and spun it expertly, grinning. " _Nice_."

"Little Bluebird - this cloak will make you harder to hit, since you like to get up close and personal in fights."

"It's _Laughing Bluebird_ , Cay-leb," Jester stuck her tongue out at him before she spun around as she put the cloak on.

"You are the littlest of laughing bluebirds, _Schatz_." Caleb picked up the next item. "Caduceus, this is a ring you can store spells in - either one big one, or several little ones. Jester's pearl of power is similar, but not as powerful."

"Nice. Thanks, Mister Caleb." Caduceus slipped the ring onto one thin finger, and Fjord rubbed his thumb against his own ring that Caleb had given him - it did nothing, but Caleb had given it to him, and Fjord was never going to take it off for as long as he had fingers to wear it on.

"Nott, _Liebling_ , this will make you harder to hit," Caleb handed her another ring, and Nott cupped it carefully in her palms.

"Caleb, what about you? You definitely could use something to make you harder to hit."

" _Ja_ , definitely, but I get this," he held up a book, the leather binding cracked and worn and the pages yellowing. "This is a spell book. It can only be helpful - I do not recognize any of the runes in this, and that makes it is either very old, or brand new spells of which I have never seen." Caleb grinned. "Exciting, _ja_?"

"Nerrrd," Beau said with a grin. "I bet that's what Fjord's nickname for you is."

Caleb flushed bright red. "I know what Fjord's nickname for me means, and it is _not that_."

"What is it then?"

"Firefly."

_Is that what I told him it meant?_ Fjord thought, frowning.

_Did I ever tell him what it meant?_

"Awwww! That's so cute, Cay-leb!" Jester cooed, hugging Caleb tight. "Little Firefly!"

"Jester, please, I have one more thing to hand out-" Caleb kissed her cheek. "Come on, Bluebird."

Jester giggled and let him go, bouncing a little as she grinned. "Okay, but hurry up - I want to get back to town."

"You can go ahead, Fjord and I will catch up," Caleb said, his face still flushed red.

"Go on, 𝕷𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕭𝖑𝖚𝖊𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖉," Fjord said, though he didn't take his eyes off Caleb.

Jester watched them for a long moment before she waggled her eyebrows at Fjord and skipped off, dragging Beau away. "Okay, but if you don't hurry, Jannik will eat you."

"Jannik will do no such thing, you menace!" Caleb shouted after her, shaking his head as he smiled up at Fjord. "This last thing is for you, _Bärchen_. It is a Circlet of Blasting - like the glove that lets me cast Scorching Ray. I figured, just in case you ever needed a bit of back-up, magic-wise."

Fjord took Caleb's hand in his own. "That's mighty kind of you to think of me, Caleb, 𝖒𝖞 𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊. Put it on me?"

Caleb reached up to place the circlet around Fjord's head, as careful and gentle as he could be, as though he was crowning royalty.

"Caleb… I don't remember telling you what 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊 means."

"Because you did not, that was a lie to make Jester go away. I did not want to explain that I didn't know what or means or that you only say it to me when you are balls deep inside me."

Fjord chuckled, leaning down to brush his nose against Caleb's. "Do you want me to tell you what it means, Caleb?"

"I'd much rather you kiss me, _Bärchen_ , so we can rejoin our friends at the inn."

Fjord tugged Caleb in close, kissing him softly. "Sorry about earlier."

"Mmm?" Caleb kissed him again, his hand sliding up Fjord's chest to cradle his jaw. "Mm. What for?"

"I didn't mean to spark a whole thing with the nicknames. And if I only called you that in bed before, it must've thrown you for a loop when I just dropped it in front of everyone like that, so I'm sorry for that, too."

Caleb chuckled, low and rough and _fuck_ , that sound _did things_ to Fjord, as he watched Caleb's tongue dart out to lick his lips, like he was chasing the remains of a tasty treat. "I was trying to figure out if it was some form of exhibitionism."

"Nah. Just me feeling particularly fondly for you."

"Ah, so 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊 is less a nickname and more an endearment?"

Caleb was getting too close to the truth, and if he found out, everything would fall apart.

Fjord kissed him again before turning to head over to where Jannik was waiting. "You're smart. You'll figure it out eventually," Fjord called over his shoulder toward Caleb.

And maybe, if Fjord was really lucky, Caleb will have started to feel the same.

\--

Caleb had been working on translating that spell book for hours, sitting hunched over the desk in the room he shared with Fjord, fingers stained with ink, and had barely touched his supper. Fjord leaned down, mouth right near Caleb's ear. "𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊, you've been working for a long time."

Caleb paused mid-stroke, just the slightest hitch in his motion before he continued. "It's not in any language I speak normally, Fjord - I have to translate it first before I can copy it down."

"You need to take a break and rest, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊."

Caleb looked at Fjord, like Fjord was a puzzle to be solved. "I am almost done, _Bärchen_..."

Fjord wound a lock of Caleb's hair loosely around his finger before tucking it behind his ear. "All right, but when you finish? 𝕮𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖊, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊. 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖕𝖚𝖘𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖋 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘. 𝕷𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊."

Caleb's eyes fluttered shut, the pen going lax in Caleb's hand. "Ah… I-I think this is ruined anyway. I can start over in the morning…"

"Good. Come to bed."

Caleb turned to face Fjord, catching his mouth in a kiss, not seeming to care about the awkward angle. "Fjord... Talk to me?"

"As much as you want, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊." Fjord nosed behind Caleb's ear, relishing in the full body tremble and moan it earned him. "𝖄𝖔𝖚, 𝖜𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 - 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖉𝖔 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊, 𝖎𝖋 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖆𝖘𝖐."

Caleb leaned in to kiss Fjord hungrily, biting gently at Fjord's lower lip. "Have me - please, just-"

"I've got you, Cay. You okay?"

"I'm _fine_ -" Caleb whined. "Please, Fjord, don't stop talking!"

"All right." Fjord sucked a dark love bite onto Caleb's throat as he started to unbuckle Caleb's book holsters - he had stripped the wizard so many times before, Fjord was certain he could do it in his sleep. "𝕴 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖘𝖊𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊, 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖞 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊. 𝖄𝖔𝖚, 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝕴 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖊𝖑𝖘𝖊, 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖜𝖊𝖉 𝖇𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖔𝖓𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘."

Caleb let out a whine, gasping like he couldn't get enough air, even as he worked the buckles of Fjord's armor off. " _Oh…_ "

Bit by bit, they stripped each other of their armor and clothes, Fjord pressing kisses and his usual litany of Orcish affection, but Caleb was the most into it Fjord had ever seen him since the first night they spent together on the Balleater. "Easy, Cay, I've got you," Fjord whispered against Caleb's skin. "𝕰𝖆𝖘𝖞, 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚…."

It was always satisfying to be able to get Caleb to break and get loud - he couldn't parse the Zemnian Caleb would speak, not familiar enough with the language itself and always, _always_ focusing all his attention on whatever he was doing to make Caleb sound like that.

Tonight felt different, but Fjord couldn't put his finger on what.

"Fjord, Fjord, _bitte hör nicht auf. Meine Götter, ich würde dich heiraten, solltest du mich fragen. Ich habe dich für so lange geliebt, befürchtete jedoch, dass du nicht dasselbe fühltest._ "

Fjord dragged his tongue up the underside of Caleb's dick as he finished stretching him open, surreptitiously wiping his hand on the blanket. "I don't have the faintest clue what you just said 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊, but you sure are in a right state, aren't you?"

" _Fjord,_ " Caleb moaned, reaching for him. "Fill me up, already, you are too far away-!"

Fjord slicked his cock with oil before lining himself up with Caleb's hole and pressing in, kissing him hungrily once he was fully seated inside him. "𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑 𝖘𝖔 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖒𝖊, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊. 𝕴'𝖉 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖎𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚'𝖉 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊."

Caleb clung to him, biting down hard on the curve where Fjord's neck met his shoulder and sucked a dark, possessive mark there, sending a thrill through Fjord. Caleb was always embarrassed by the marks he'd leave behind on Fjord, but Fjord loved them, loved the idea of belonging to Caleb like that even if Caleb hadn't meant the marks like that at the time. "Move, Fjord, _bitte_ -!"

Fjord rocked his hips forward, lifting himself up on one arm so he could get a hand around Caleb's cock and stroke him.

It felt like it took no time at all to get Caleb to the brink, to keep him teetering just on the edge of orgasm when Caleb suddenly gave Fjord a shove, rolling them so that Fjord was on his back under Caleb as he sank down again on Fjord's cock.

" _Ich liebe dich, aber du wirst mich für immer warten lassen und der Zauber ist fast weg. Sag es, bitte, sag es nochmal, sag mir noch einmal das du mich liebst, Fjord, bitte-_ say something, anything, please, tell me again-"

Fjord reached up to smooth Caleb's hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear before dropping his hands to Caleb's hips. He wasn't sure what, exactly, Caleb wanted to hear, but he knew what he wanted to tell him. "𝕴 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊. 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖐𝖞."

That seemed to do it, Caleb bracing his hands on Fjord's chest as he trembled and shook as he came. The squeeze of Caleb around his shaft dragged Fjord over the edge faster than he was expecting, rocking up sharply into Caleb and causing him to cry out so loud Fjord was convinced the whole inn heard.

Caleb slumped forward, tucking his face into Fjord's neck, and Fjord couldn't stop the contented rumble building up in his chest, even if he wanted to.

" _Ich liebe dich auch,_ " Caleb was saying into Fjord's neck. " _Ich liebe dich auch_ , Fjord."

"I don't know what that means, Cay. Did I fuck the Common out of your head?" He grinned up at Caleb as he lifted his face from Fjord's neck.

"'I love you, too,' Fjord. It means 'I love you, too.'"

Fjord felt run through with ice, like he'd gotten hit with a stray shard from his own spell. _Too? What does he mean too? Did he-?_

Then it hit him all at once - Caleb had been translating that damned spell book before Fjord got him into bed. The spell he used to do it had probably still been going when Fjord started-

"Fjord? You look terrified, _Bärchen_..." And Caleb was starting to look unsure, starting to pull away, and that was the last thing Fjord wanted.

"Just thrown for a loop. You, uh, weren't supposed to find out."

The look Caleb gave him was nothing short of incredulous. "Fjord. You said you wanted to _marry me_ , and you say I wasn't supposed to _find out about that_?"

Why did it sound so stupid when he put it that way? "Yes! Don't- it made perfect sense before, don't twist it-!"

"Fjord. Dearheart. How long have we been sleeping together?"

Fjord flushed, half ready to lift Caleb off of himself to at least give him the option of getting away from the wizard. "Cay-"

"A while, you would say, _ja_?" At Fjord's nod, Caleb took his face between his palms. "Fjord. I am _glad_ I found out. Because I have been spending that whole time before thinking I was only an easy lay for you. Someone safe for you to get your rocks off with, especially after everything with Avantika-"

Oh no. "Caleb, no-"

"And I was okay with that, because that is what I thought I deserved. I didn't dare hope you'd feel the same about me. And now- how long have you been romancing me in Orcish?"

"Since Dashilla's lair."

" _Willst du mich verarschen?!_ Fjord!"

Fjord flinched. "Can we at least have this conversation when I'm not inside you?"

" _Nein,_ I like where I am, thank you _very much_." Caleb rested their foreheads together. "Fjord. I am not angry with you. Just that we wasted so much _time_ , do you understand? Taking what we could get from each other because it was all we thought we _could_ get- Fjord, you understand why this is ridiculous, _ja_?"

Fjord tilted his head to rub his nose against Caleb's. "I… can certainly see what you're talking about, yeah."

Caleb sighed, kissing Fjord softly. "...so where are we standing now, with this?"

"Well," Fjord shifted, easing himself out of Caleb even as he bit back a whimper at the loss. "I'd like to clean up and rest. Maybe take you to dinner, sleep together a few times now that everything's on the table… and then maybe we can come back around to the marriage question."

"How many are you counting as 'a few', Fjord?" Caleb's eyes narrowed playfully at him.

"At least twice."

"An acceptable number," Caleb said with a soft hum. "We need to get cleaned up."

"Mmhm," Fjord held Caleb closer. "We're really gonna do this, huh?"

"Do you not want to?"

"I want to, I'm just having trouble thinking this ain't a dream." There was a sharp pinch to Fjord's ass that made him yelp and jerk his hips forward as Caleb snickered into his collar bone. "All right, all right. Point made. Here's to making it work."

"We always do, _Bärchen_."

Fjord hummed. "...so what does that mean, now that you know what I call you?"

"'Teddy bear.'"

"...like a stuffed toy?"

"Mmhmm. You are very big and strong, but also very cuddly."

Fjord felt himself flush. Not scary, but not pathetic either. "Maybe let's keep that between us, hm?"

"Mmhm. Hey, Fjord?"

"Yeah?"

"...how soon before we can get started on those two rounds of sex before marriage?"

Fjord couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out of him as he rolled over and pinned Caleb to the bed under him as they kissed.

Later, they would eventually get married under the twin full moons and an endless sea of stars, with Jester presiding over the ceremony, and Fjord would have something good to tell Vandran when he finally found him, about how he found his family and husband.

Later, they'd retire to a cottage by the sea, and live out the rest of their days together bathed in warmth and light and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations for Caleb's Zemnian:
> 
> 1) _gut_  
>  good
> 
> 2) _Schatz_  
>  Treasure
> 
> 3) _Liebling_  
>  Favorite
> 
> 4) "Fjord, Fjord, _bitte hör nicht auf. Meine Götter, ich würde dich heiraten, solltest du mich fragen. Ich habe dich für so lange geliebt, befürchtete jedoch, dass du nicht dasselbe fühltest._ "  
> "Fjord, Fjord, please don't stop. My Gods, I would marry you, should you ask me. I have loved you for so long, but feared, that you would not feel the same."
> 
> 5) " _Ich liebe dich, aber du wirst mich für immer warten lassen und der Zauber ist fast weg. Sag es, bitte, sag es nochmal, sag mir noch einmal das du mich liebst, Fjord, bitte-_ "  
> "I love you, but you are going to make me wait forever and the magic is almost gone. Say it back, please, say it again, tell me you love me again, Fjord, please-"
> 
> 6) " _Willst du mich verarschen?!_ "  
> "Are you fucking kidding me?!"
> 
> Translations for Fjord's Orcish for those who can't read the font (at least, the stuff that doesn't get translated right away):
> 
> 01) Hearthfire  
> 02) Laughing Bluebird  
> 03) my sweet Hearthfire.  
> 04) Hearthfire  
> 05) Hearthfire (Caleb says this one!)  
> 06) Hearthfire  
> 07) Hearthfire  
> 08) Come lay with me, Hearthfire. I worry for you, when you push yourself like this. Let me take care of you, my love.  
> 09) Hearthfire  
> 10) You, whose name beats in my heart and sings in my blood - I would do anything you wished of me, if only you would ask.  
> 11) I love it when you let me see you, Hearthfire, lovely creature that you are. You, who I love above all else, who I would wed beneath the moons and stars.  
> 12) Easy, darling, let me taste you….  
> 13) Hearthfire  
> 14) You always feel so good around me, Hearthfire. I'd stay with you forever just like this if you'd let me.  
> 15) I love you, Hearthfire. More than anything, for more years than there are stars in the sky.
> 
> And Finally, the official list of all that sweet sweet loot I dropped on the party:
> 
> Spell Book in Marquisian (Caleb)  
> Quarterstaff of Warning (Beau)  
> Ring of Protection (Nott)  
> Bracers of Defense (Yasha)  
> Cloak of Displacement (Jester)  
> Ring of Spell Storing (Caduceus)  
> Circlet of Blasting (Fjord)


End file.
